Great Island Inn

From the moment we arrived at this lovely inn, we were thoroughly impressed. Every detail has clearly been thought through with care and pride. The cleanliness was outstanding—not a speck of dust or smudge in sight—which made for an incredibly comfortable and relaxing stay.||The decor strikes the perfect balance between elegance and coziness. Each area has its own unique charm, with tasteful furnishings, thoughtful touches, and beautiful craftsmanship throughout. You can tell that a lot of love has gone into maintaining and styling this place.||Whether you’re looking for a quiet weekend retreat or a memorable stop on your travels, this inn is a true standout. We'll absolutely be returning—and recommending it to everyone we know!

This was our second time staying at the great island inn! Our stay was absolutely perfect! If you’re looking for a place that feels like home but offers the charm of a boutique stay, this is it. The apartment was beautifully designed, clean, and full of thoughtful touches, from the fully equipped kitchen to the in room washer & dryer, which was a lifesaver after our daily beach walks (rain or shine!). The location couldn’t be better! It’s tucked away in a quiet, historic neighborhood, yet it’s just minutes from downtown Portsmouth and Kittery, either a quick drive or a gorgeous 20-30 minute walk past historic homes, the waterfront, and over the bridges. The best part? The beach is only two blocks away with stunning lighthouse views! The bed was incredibly comfortable, and the space had so much character and attention to detail. Plus, having Islander cafe right downstairs was such a treat, amazing coffee and delicious breakfast without having to go far. If you’re looking for a peaceful, comfortable, and well-located place to stay, I can’t recommend Great Island Inn enough! We’ll definitely be back. ❤️ -@nicolecasaz

Staying 3 nights at the Great Island inn was such a great experience. So comfortable and clean with quality accommodations in every way. New Castle is absolutely beautiful and a short drive into Portsmouth for their recommended restaurants was ideal. Right out front and so convenient is the Islander Cafe with the best scone and breakfast sandwich ever. Will definitely return to the Great Island Inn for sure. Thank you for making our stay a great one.

There are so many reasons I’m happy we stayed here! Historic building located in a quaint New England neighborhood; 2-minute walk to water and beach; Islander Café coffee shop/bakery right next door; quality linens, appliances; easy drive into Portsmouth. Every detail was well thought out; we lacked nothing. Several bonuses: glass wine and champagne glasses; washer and dryer; heated bathroom floor. Great communication prior to our stay. Thank you!

Beautiful and functional apartment style room with nice touches. Wonderful location in beautiful New Castle walking distance to the beach with view of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse. Perfect for watching the sunrise. Delicious food at the Islander Cafe next door. Highly recommend.

My wife and I just spent a weekend at the Inn just last week, We cannot over emphasize how wonderful the Great Island Inn was. The building is c.1820 and fits into the town perfectly. We chose room #5 for the river/water view. It was fantastic. The room was immaculate and very well appointed. The decor of the room and the hallways was a perfect match to the quaint coastal town. The amenities and comfort supplies and goodies made us feel at home and very welcome during our stay. Radiant heated bathroom floors?! Yes please. Nice touch. Relaxation and comfort are clearly a top priority of those who created this amazing hideaway. If you are wondering about paying a visit to the Great Island Inn, just do it. You won't regret it.

This is an outstanding accommodation. It is reasonably priced, very clean and in good condition, and the owners are very responsive and helpful (by email) and offered great restaurant recommendations. Quiet, comfortable, convenient. Lovely place. I stayed on the third floor, which requires reasonable fitness, no elevator. Great town, too!

Truly one of the best places we have ever stayed. I want to be clear about how much we loved this place. First, the scents! Never underestimate the power of good smells. The lobby had one of those capillary incense bottles, and the bathrooms were well stocked with Malin+Goetz hair products, body wash, moisturizer, soaps and we were OBSESSED! I’ve never felt more refreshed and calm after a shower. The location was perfect: nautical theme, view of the water, narrow, cozy streets. The toilet had the water-saving flush mechanism I’ve only seen in Europe, the water pressure in the shower was great. Soft, comfy bed, easy parking, a white noise machine?!? And easy temperature control. Access to the washer and dryer was amazing and the kitchen was very well stocked. I will be here again!!!

A great find. Part of me did wonder if it was going to turn out to be too good to be true, but not at all - it's a great room, clean, well maintained, in a nice walkable neighborhood with a public beach right around the corner. A Smeg fridge! A real coffee maker, not the K-cup nonsense. The check in and check out instructions were easy, and the place is very easy to find. Definitely recommended, and we plan to come back.

This was an absolutely great find. On Hotel Tonight, the app, you can be very lucky with what comes up and you never know what you'll find. Not sure if it's because of the season (probably because of the season LOL) but the room price was incredibly reasonable. It was between this place & the Howard Johnson's. No offense to Howard Johnsons, but this place kind of like, blew it out of the water you could say. I got this room on short notice because I had to be in the area and I didn't have a lot of time to find a place to stay. I didn't do much research before booking it, but that was no problem because it turned out to be perfect. Upon entry you see that it is an adorable house, kind of like a bed-and-breakfast but without the breakfast part. Although I found that I didn't need it. The proprietor, Doug, was very friendly and helpful upon giving me the code to enter the house. He explained that there were restaurant recommendations and further explanations of the amenities on the yellow sheet of paper on the table in the middle of the room. That would be very helpful to out-of-towners. When you walk into the space, you enter into a living room area, at least in my room. It's small but perfectly furnished with a love seat and a comfortable black rattan chair. A small dining tables behind it with a kitchen immediately to your right. The kitchen was well outfitted with anything you might need to cook. Behind all this was a bed, I think it was a queen size, may have been a king, wasn't really paying attention but it was beautiful with lovely linen and perfect throw pillows. The bathroom was a large with a washer dryer which should be fantastic for extended-stay guests. The whole place looks brand new and was immaculately kept and smelled fantastic. Everything worked, as far as the black out curtains that you could pull down, the TV, the heat etc. He also has a good selection of liquor wine and beer for purchase in the room at modest prices. Everything was great, the only two things I would suggest would be to stock coffee for the morning with the coffee maker. There's creamers in the fridge which is kind of a tease considering there's no coffee, as a coffee junkie I was a little disappointed, but the place is great I definitely could look past it. Also in the bathroom the bathtub stopper did not work so I couldn't take a bath and the water pressure was pretty bad. These were definitely not something that would steer me away from staying here again however. The proprietor looked as if he would be right on it the second anyone mentioned something defective in the room. As I've said before, I would recommend this hotel to anyone in the area. It's really cute, really clean, in a great area, with a wonderful owner. Definitely check it out and enjoy your stay :-)

This is one of the nicest and most well appointed places to stay if you are coming to Portsmouth or New England for a visit. Doug and or his designers did a fantastic job. It is so relaxing and so nice to be in a comfortable room when away from home. As a side note, if you have ever written a review of a hotel and wished your bedroom was as comfortable it means you need a new mattress and let me say that you should always miss your bed more than you miss a bed from a trip. With that said the linens and mattress are very nice. Since I was referred to the Great Island Inn by a local business owner, I was not aware that it functions like an Airbnb. Doug is very responsive and if there is anything missing I am certain he would make every attempt to make sure your stay is so comfortable that you too will soon be writing a positive review. Skip Boston and head up to Portsmouth, Kittery, Portland, and Burlington. Do not, I repeat, do not forget to stop off at Lil's in Kittery. You are welcome for recommending Lil's.

I can't say enough amazing things about this place! I will stay here every time I come to Portsmouth! No it's not walking distance but it's a quick Uber or drive away at only 3 miles to town. The place is just cozy, clean, convenient, practical.. every single thing you could want in a short or long term stay! I just fell in love with it from the minute we drove up! Thank you Great Island Inn! We will definitely be back!

D&D have done it again!! First they stirred up the Portsmouth hotel scene with the Ale House and the Hotel Portsmouth, and now they've branched out to New Castle with the impeccable Great Island Inn. The inn consists of 6 apartment-style suites (2 per floor; 4 kings and 2 queens), each outfitted with everything you need: a full kitchen (including a real fridge, stove, microwave, and dishwasher), living room and bedroom areas, and a bathroom with a washer/dryer and deep soaker tub. I have lived in many apartments that can't claim all that. All the awkwardness of a B&B is gone- there is no front desk, no nosy host or forced meals. What is left is a relaxing home away from home with the smell of fresh salt air (and an innkeeper one phone call away if needed). If you don't want to cook, head right downstairs to Henrys' for a delicious cinnamon bun or breakfast burrito and a latte. Prefer to cook outside? Hang out on the beautifully designed shared patio. Hint hint: Seaport Fish is a short drive away and has the best crab cakes and salmon burgers to throw on the grill ;). Great Island Common is a short and beautiful walk away... We stayed at the Inn for 10 nights and went to the beach every single day. I will absolutely be recommending this place for everyone who is coming to visit us!

I can't even explain how happy I am to have found this little gem. I'm usually not a fan of nautical themes but this was so tasteful and thought out. The care put behind the decor and amenities made it a home away from home; from pots and knives to beach chairs to laundry detergent. Checking in and out is unbelievably easy. Doug has supplied a variety of beverages and snacks at a more than fair price. The beach is a quick walk away. Doug also provided many recommendations and I couldn't be more thankful after trying the friendly toast. The Inn really made coming back home to New Hampshire after a few years extra warm and welcoming especially during a cold rainy week. I look forward to revisiting, it was my girlfriend's first time in New England and she's already talking about coming back and checking out your Rye Motor Inn. Thank you for investing in sharing the beauty of New Hampshire.

I found out about the Great Island Inn from Instagram through a friend. I liked the look and vibe and was able to get a room for the long weekend. Ive traveled via Air BnB and liked the idea of the kitchen. As a solo traveler Im more into making meals in the room and not having to trek out and explore the food scene. keep in mind Im talking simple stuff like fresh fruit, yogurt, and snacks. Im sure you could make a full dinner too if you wanted. Lets just say I want this kitchen in my own apt. Super cool and the frig was a nice touch. The stackable washer and dryer set was nice. No need to return with dirty cloths- Loved having the windows open and feel the breeze. Its nice and quiet since this isnt in a busy area so my nights were perfect. Was glad I brought my running gear with me since New Castle has some amazing scenes. It was great to explore in the am with a run and then hit some sites like downtown Portsmouth thats a 5 min drive away. Im making a return visit for the Fall for sure.

This place is a hidden gem. It is an old house that has been made into an inn and done incredibly well. The decorations are modern, yet totally in line with New England. The rooms are quiet and laid out very well and have all the little details taken care of. There was not a speck of dust or dirt anywhere. We loved staying here. The location is gorgeous and it was a 9-minute drive to downtown Portsmouth. Love, love, love this place.

Modern studio with all the amenities! Historic inn near the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse. My wife and I stayed here for two weekend nights. We really liked the quaintness of New Castle and the ability to just walk around the area without a lot of traffic or noise. The studio room was up-to-date with wood tiled floors, large-screen cable TV, small kitchen, and bathroom. Owner Doug went out of his way to make us feel welcome despite not being on premise and we never wanted for anything while we stayed because the room had pretty much everything we needed. Would definitely recommend this place to a friend.

This wonderful find was the perfect place for my boyfriend and I on our anniversary. It's beautiful, clean, calming atmosphere will have you feeling at home in no time. When I say I clean I mean immaculate. The beds are extremely comfortable, even at 5 months pregnant I could sleep like a baby. Wish I could live here. The innkeeper is a sweetheart. Checking in late wasn't a problem at all. Will definitely be returning and telling friends to try it! The toiletries are awesome, all you need to bring is body lotion, there was shampoo, conditioner, body wash and soap, which I will be purchasing on line they were so impressive. Thanks Doug!

Brand new property, opened a month ago. Exceptionally well done. Nice bathroom. Comfortable bed and furnishings. Washer/dryer if you need. Kitchenette too. Very clean and close to beach. Reasonably priced bar and snacks - $20 for Red Hook variety 12 pack beer. Spoke with the owner who was accommodating upon reservation and available if needed. Henry's next door good for breakfast too. Will be back!